![]() | This article possibly contains original research .(September 2020) |
Esther before Ahasuerus | |
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Year | late 1620s - 1630s |
Medium | oil paint, canvas |
Dimensions | 208.3 cm (82.0 in) × 273.7 cm (107.8 in) |
Identifiers | Bildindex der Kunst und Architektur ID: 20183815 The Met object ID: 436453 |
Esther before Ahasuerus is a painting by the 17th century Italian artist Artemisia Gentileschi. It shows the biblical heroine Esther going before Ahasuerus to beg him to spare her people. The painting is now in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, having been donated to the museum by Elinor Dorrance Ingersoll in 1969. [1] It is one of Gentileschi's lesser known works, but her use of lighting, characterization, and style help in successfully portraying Esther as a biblical heroine as well as the main protagonist of the work.
The painting is not specifically dated and the patron or the commissioner of the painting is still unknown. Scholars of Baroque art and Artemisia Gentileschi hold various opinions over when the painting was created; many believe “Esther before Ahasuerus” was painted during the 1630s, during Artemisia's first Neapolitan period. [1]
Artemisia Gentileschi was one of the only women in the Baroque period who was given the training and ability to become a skilled painter, and became one of the most prominent painters of this era because of this. [1]
Artemisia was the eldest child of artist Orazio Gentileschi and was trained in her father's workshop along with her brothers, showing more talent than any of them. [2] She was trained in the style of Caravaggio, as her father's style took inspiration from his. [2] [3] Artemisia's works tend to reflect that training and as such are similar in style to Caravaggio's, but with less focus on dramatic setting and lighting seen in his works and more focus on the people involved and their characterizations. Her paintings are also less idealistic in portraying people and more naturalistic and even a bit mischievous, which can be seen in Esther before Ahasuerus where Esther is painted to look more like a normal woman rather than an idealized one, while Ahasuerus is made to look more comedic than a king would normally be depicted.
The scene in the painting is from the Book of Esther and depicts Esther, the Jewish wife of the king Ahasuerus (sometimes named as Xerxes in modern texts). After the king ordered the execution of all Jewish people in the Persian Empire, Esther went before him, without being summoned, to beg for him to spare her people. This broke court etiquette and Esther risked death in doing so. She ended up fainting before the king - the moment depicted in Gentileschi's work. [1] Her action ended up softening the king's decision, and he permitted the Jews to defend themselves against his attack, preventing them from being killed off.
While the subject matter depicted in this work is the biblical scene of Esther going before Ahasuerus to plead for her people, the style of the clothing and setting is more contemporary. The significance of the way Gentileschi depicts both Esther and the king speaks to her style and ideals. Esther is shown in better lighting, while Ahasuerus is in shadow, and the king is also depicted with an extravagant feathered hat and fur-trimmed boots that are also bejeweled. Esther, meanwhile, is depicted in more elegant and refined clothing. Gentileschi marks her as the protagonist of the scene in this way and gives her more agency while conveying the message of how much of a biblical heroine Esther is. [3]
The colors in this piece are generally more muted and not very vibrant. Shades of red run throughout much of the background, darkened by brown to come off as shadows. The king Ahasuerus also has red in his outfit in the sash that he wears over his neck. Because of this, Esther's vibrantly yellow dress stands out in comparison to the rest of the painting, bringing attention to her figure. She is also better lit than the king, who is almost in shadow. His color palette is also different from the background with an outfit of white and dark green, but unlike Esther, he does not stand out as much due to the fact that he is in darker colors.
The usage of angles in this piece also speaks to how staged it is and represents the style of the Baroque era. Both Esther and the king are in almost parallel diagonal angles. Ahasuerus leans forward in his chair as Esther faints backwards, being caught by the women behind her. The diagonal angles in the curtains in front of and behind the king also give the effect of drawing the eye towards him as if to remind the viewer to pay attention to him, too, instead of just focusing on Esther. There is also a lot of direct contrast in how they are both posed. Esther is falling backwards, her chin receding into her neck, while Ahasuerus is leaning forward and looks like he is about to stand up, his chin jutting out towards her. This is a very dynamic scene with a lot of movement from both Esther and the king.
In addition, Gentileschi paid a lot of attention to the folds of the fabrics as well as in Ahasuerus's boots, and she even made the stitches on the hem of Esther's dress so exact that they almost look real. Gentileschi's attention to detail is also visible in the cracks of the marble ground as well as the fur trim on Ahasuerus's boots, and even in the detailing of the paws that adorn the king's chair. The materials in this painting feel almost real and tangible, which helps to make the scene even more relatable to viewers.
Artemisia Gentileschi's paintings are often filled with images of women committing acts of violence against men, especially in her most well known painting, Judith Slaying Holofernes . As one of the only prominent women in the Baroque era, Gentileschi's work is very well known. Her consistent motifs of women having power over men and even killing them is possibly a revenge narrative linked to the fact that Gentileschi was raped by her father's friend Agostino Tassi when she was just a teen. [4] Her works also tend to have themes of men objectifying women, as seen in Susanna and the Elders . Esther before Ahasuerus is an example of a work that conveys both of these themes.
Artemisia was not singular in her choice to depict the theme of “Esther before Ahasuerus.” Other artists of the period had also painted this passage from the book of Esther. Like Artemisia, Guercino [5] shows Esther swooning and being held up by her maids. In the Apocryphal text, which Guercino most likely relied on for his depiction, Esther's relationship with the King is meant to represent Mary's unity with Christ. The pomegranate, which is embroidered on Esther's dress in Guercino's and Artemisia's paintings, also symbolize the Virgin. The fruit reference's Mary's attributes – chastity and immortality. [6]
Artemisia, a Caravaggisti, was also influenced by Caravaggio's works in Rome during her family's sojourn in the city and her father's personal relationship with the artist [7] Caravaggisti sensibilities can be seen in “Esther before Ahasuerus.” The king gravitates towards Esther, the significant figure in the composition. The dynamic between the two figures suggests role-reversal; Esther holds the power of the monarchy, and Ahasuerus is the novice. [7] The role-reversal seen in Artemisia's “Esther before Ahasuerus” is reminiscent of Caravaggio's own use of gender ambiguity and gender-reversal in his work. It can be seen in “Boy with a Basket of Fruit,” in which Caravaggio depicted an effeminate young boy in a sensual manner. [8] The gender of figure of the Gorgon in Caravaggio's “Medusa” also seems vague. It is suggested Caravaggio drew from his own face to create the image of “Medusa,” placing himself as the figure of the female mythological creature. [8] Ahasuerus is characterized as a ““modish dandy of a type,” a depiction Caravaggio would use to represent “superficiality.” In juxtaposition to the King, Esther is majestic in her swooning [7]
Esther's muscular neck is also comparable to Michelangelo's depiction of Haman in the Sistine Chapel ceiling fresco. [7]
Gentileschi's rendition of this scene from the Book of Esther seems to follow the description seen in the Greek additions to the original account, which was declared canonical during the Council of Trent in 1546. One distinct difference between Gentileschi's work and the text is in how Ahasuerus is portrayed. The text states that he was “dressed in all his robes of state...a formidable sight.” [1] In contrast, Gentileschi's depiction of the king is not very formidable, and he is leaning forward in a comedic manner with a puzzled expression on his face as Esther faints. This does not seem to be the face of a king who has the power to order the execution of an entire race, and that may be part of Gentileschi's intent as far as his portrayal goes; the people in charge may not always appear as powerful and scary as their position entails.
Looking closely, one can see what looks like the shadow of a boy near the king's knee. X-rays done by the Metropolitan Museum of Art revealed that this was a figure of an African boy restraining a dog that was painted over intentionally, which is thought to be a reference to Veronese's depiction of this same scene, which Gentileschi's painting is similar to. [1] In Veronese's Esther before Ahasuerus , however, the dog is resting by the king and not trying to attack Esther.
Recent research suggests that the painting may have been started during Artemisia's time in Venice, before she moved to Naples. [9] The work is first documented in the collection of Grafen von Harrach in Vienna from 1856. [10] The painting was sold to Alessandro Morandotti in 1953, who later sold it to Elinor Dorrance Hill (later Mrs. Stuart H. Ingersoll) in the 1960s. [10]
Esther is the eponymous heroine of the Book of Esther. In the Achaemenid Empire, the Persian king Ahasuerus seeks a new wife after his queen, Vashti, is deposed for disobeying him. Hadassah, a Jewess who goes by the name of Esther, is chosen to fulfill this role due to her beauty. Ahasuerus' grand vizier, Haman, is offended by Esther's cousin and guardian, Mordecai, due to his refusal to prostrate himself before Haman. Consequently, Haman plots to have all the Jewish subjects of Persia killed, and convinces Ahasuerus to permit him to do so. However, Esther foils the plan by revealing Haman's eradication plans to Ahasuerus, who then has Haman executed and grants permission to the Jews to kill their enemies instead, as royal edicts cannot be revoked under Persian law.
Artemisia Lomi or Artemisia Gentileschi was an Italian Baroque painter. Gentileschi is considered among the most accomplished seventeenth-century artists, initially working in the style of Caravaggio. She was producing professional work by the age of fifteen. In an era when women had few opportunities to pursue artistic training or work as professional artists, Gentileschi was the first woman to become a member of the Accademia di Arte del Disegno in Florence and she had an international clientele.
The Caravaggisti were stylistic followers of the late 16th-century Italian Baroque painter Caravaggio. His influence on the new Baroque style that eventually emerged from Mannerism was profound. Caravaggio never established a workshop as most other painters did, and thus had no school to spread his techniques. Nor did he ever set out his underlying philosophical approach to art, the psychological realism which can only be deduced from his surviving work. But it can be seen directly or indirectly in the work of Rubens, Jusepe de Ribera, Bernini, and Rembrandt. Famous while he lived, Caravaggio himself was forgotten almost immediately after his death. Many of his paintings were reascribed to his followers, such as The Taking of Christ, which was attributed to the Dutch painter Gerrit van Honthorst until 1990. It was only in the 20th century that his importance to the development of Western art was rediscovered. In the 1920s Roberto Longhi once more placed him in the European tradition: "Ribera, Vermeer, La Tour and Rembrandt could never have existed without him. And the art of Delacroix, Courbet and Manet would have been utterly different". The influential Bernard Berenson stated: "With the exception of Michelangelo, no other Italian painter exercised so great an influence."
Bernardo Cavallino (1616–1656) was an Italian painter and draughtsman. He is regarded as one of the most original painters active in Naples during the first half of the 17th century.
Judith Slaying Holofernes is a painting by the Italian early Baroque artist Artemisia Gentileschi, completed in 1612-13 and now at the Museo Capodimonte, Naples, Italy. The picture is considered one of her iconic works. The canvas shows Judith beheading Holofernes. The subject takes an episode from the apocryphal Book of Judith in the Old Testament, which recounts the assassination of the Assyrian general Holofernes by the Israelite heroine Judith. The painting shows the moment when Judith, helped by her maidservant Abra, beheads the general after he has fallen asleep in a drunken stupor. She painted a second version now in the Uffizi, Florence, somewhere between 1613 and 1621.
Italian Baroque art is a term that is used here to refer to Italian painting and sculpture in the Baroque manner executed over a period that extended from the late sixteenth to the mid eighteenth centuries.
Self-Portrait as the Allegory of Painting, also known as Autoritratto in veste di Pittura or simply La Pittura, was painted by the Italian Baroque artist Artemisia Gentileschi. The oil-on-canvas painting measures 98.6 by 75.2 centimetres and was probably produced during Gentileschi's stay in England between 1638 and 1639. It was in the collection of Charles I and was returned to the Royal Collection at the Restoration (1660) and remains there. In 2015 it was put on display in the "Cumberland Gallery" in Hampton Court Palace.
Venus and Cupid is a circa 1626 painting by Artemisia Gentileschi in the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. Venus and Cupid is a depiction of a sleeping Venus, who reclines on a blue bed covering and rich crimson and gold tasseled pillow. She wears nothing except a thin wisp of transparent linen around her thigh. Her son Cupid fans her with richly colored peacock feathers as she drifts to sleep. He is gazing at her with an adored, raptured expression. In the background, there is a window looking out onto a moonlight landscape where a temple to the goddess lies. Venus's face has full cheeks, heavy lids, a prominent nose, and small protruding chin—all features of Gentileschi's own face. The body movements are natural: Venus's hand rests lightly on her side, her legs are gently laid together. The work blends together realism and classicism through its iconography and the artist's style.
Esther before Ahasuerus is a large painting of 1546–47 by the Venetian painter Tintoretto showing a scene from the Greek addition to the Book of Esther, where Queen Esther faints during a bold intervention with her husband King Ahasuerus of Persia. In oil on canvas, it measures 207.7 by 275.5 centimetres. Since the 1620s it has been in the Royal Collection of the United Kingdom, and in 2019 it hung in the King's Gallery in Kensington Palace, London.
Susanna and the Elders is a 1610 painting by the Italian Baroque artist Artemisia Gentileschi and is her earliest-known signed and dated work. It currently hangs in the Schloss Weißenstein collection, in Pommersfelden, Germany. The work shows an uncomfortable Susanna with the two men lurking above her while she is in the bath. This was a popular scene to paint during the time of the Baroque period. This subject matter for this painting comes from the deuterocanonical Book of Susanna in the Additions to Daniel. Susanna and the Elders was one of Gentileschi's signature works, with Gentileschi painting a variation of the scene a number of times at the beginning of her career.
Saint Apollonia is a painting attributed to the Italian baroque painter Artemisia Gentileschi executed between 1642 and 1644. It is part of the collection of the Museo Soumaya in Mexico City, Mexico.
Judith and her Maidservant is a c. 1615 painting by the Italian baroque artist Artemisia Gentileschi. It hangs in the Pitti Palace, Florence.
This is an ongoing bibliography of work related to the Italian baroque painter Artemisia Gentileschi.
Danaë is a painting by the Italian baroque artist Artemisia Gentileschi. It hangs in the Saint Louis Art Museum, United States.
Judith and Her Maidservant is one of four paintings by the Italian baroque artist Artemisia Gentileschi that depicts the biblical story of Judith and Holofernes. This particular work, executed in about 1623 to 1625, now hangs in the Detroit Institute of Arts. The narrative is taken from the deuterocanonical Book of Judith, in which Judith seduces and then murders the general Holofernes. This precise moment illustrates the maidservant Abra wrapping the severed head in a bag, moments after the murder, while Judith keeps watch. The other three paintings are now shown in the Museo di Capodimonte in Naples, the Palazzo Pitti in Florence, and the Musée de la Castre in Cannes.
Jael and Sisera is a painting by the Italian Baroque artist Artemisia Gentileschi, executed around 1620.
Santa Cecilia is an early painting by the baroque painter Artemisia Gentileschi, a painter described as "a grand exception in the history of art - a successful woman painter in an era in which art was dominated by men."
Lucretia is a painting by the Italian baroque artist Artemisia Gentileschi. It depicts Lucretia, the wife of Roman consul and general Tarquinus, at the moment of her suicide. The decision to take her own life was made after she was blackmailed and raped by a fellow soldier of Tarquinus. It is one of a number of paintings of Gentileschi that focus on virtuous women ill-treated by men.
Bathsheba is a painting by the Baroque painter Artemisia Gentileschi, with contributions by Viviano Codazzi and Domenico Gargiulo. It shows the Hittite woman Bathsheba being washed and tended to by her servants. At the top left of the painting, King David sees her from his palace. It was one of seven versions from the story of Bathsheba that Gentileschi painted.
Annunciation is a painting by the Italian artist Artemisia Gentileschi. It is signed and dated 1630.
Bissell, R. Ward. Artemisia Gentileschi and the Authority of Art: Critical Reading and Catalogue Raisonné. Pennsylvania: Pennsylvania State University Press, 1999.
Cohen, Elizabeth S. "The Trials of Artemisia Gentileschi: A Rape as History." Sixteenth Century Journal 31, no. 1 (2000): 47–75. Accessed November 9, 2017.